![Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) meets with Foreign Minister of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani (R) in Ankara, Turkey on 14 July 2017 [Murat Kula/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/d2.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/20170714_2_24742563_24078769.jpg?fit=920%2C667&ssl=1)
Gulf states’ demands which include the closure of a Turkish military base in Qatar are “unacceptable”, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said yesterday.
“A solution could come in the medium term,” he said in a press conference, speaking alongside his Qatari counterpart, Mohamed Bin Abdul-Rahman Al Thani who is on an official visit to Turkey.
Since 5 June, Qatar has been under a blockade by several Arab countries – including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain and Yemen – who accuse Doha of supporting terrorism. The Qatari government has denied the accusations, blasting the blockade as “unjustified” and a violation of international law.
Read: Qatar ‘grateful’ for Turkey’s support during blockade
On demands for the closure of the Turkish military base in Qatar, Cavusoglu cited the US military base there, saying:
There is no such dispute with the Americans, nor do they object to it. This [Turkish base] is a deal between two sovereign countries. The Gulf demands violate sovereignty.
He described a recent Qatari deal with the US as “prudent” and said: “It shows that they are open to dialogue.”
#QatarGate
Qatar and the US signed a deal to combat the financing terrorism, during a visit to Doha by the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday, a move that comes as the Gulf crisis continues in the region.
Cavusoglu emphasised that Turkey supports Kuwaiti mediation efforts to resolve the crisis.